Deep in the Heart (Harper monogram) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sharon Sala (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harper monogram | Publication Date: December 1, 1995

Samantha Carlyle knows someone is watching her—someone who wants her dead. So she runs to the safety of her tiny Texas hometown, and to the sweet, haunting memories of John Thomas Knight. A dedicated small-town sheriff as tender as he is tough, John Thomas was Samantha's best friend, her first love—and now he is her only chance. Fate has carried them down different roads, but the fire has never died—and the passion flares white-hot the moment their eyes meet again. But this time Samantha must trust the proud, strong, devastatingly handsome lawman with more than her heart—she must trust him with her life. Because there is another man who wants her, and he's waiting for the right time to strike. And the next sweet, sensuous kiss she and John Thomas share could well be Samantha's last.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With over fifty books in print, award-winning author Sharon Sala, who also writes as Dinah McCall, still has to remind herself from time to time that this isn't a dream.

She learned to read at the age of four and has had her nose in a book ever since. Her introduction into romance came at an early age through the stories of Zane Gray, Grace Livingston Hill and Emily Loring. Her pride in contributing to the genre is echoed by the letters of her fans.

She's a four-time RITA finalist, Winner of the Janet Dailey Award, three-time Career Achievement winner from Romantic Times magazine, four-time winner of the National Reader's Choice Award and five-time winner of the Colorado Romance Writer's Award of Excellence, as well as numerous other industry awards.

Her books are regularly on bestseller lists, such as the New York Times extended list, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Waldenbooks mass market, and many others.

She claims that, for her, learning to read was a matter of evolution, but learning to write and then being published was a revolution. It changed her life, her world and her fate.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch; 1ST edition (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061083267
• ISBN-13: 978-0061083266
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sharon Sala is a long time member of Romance Writers of America writing as Sharon Sala and Dinah McCall. She writes romantic suspense, Young Adult, and Women's Fiction. First published in 1991, she's a seven-time RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, four-time winner of the Career Achievement award from RT Magazine, five time winner of the National Reader's Choice Award and five time winner of the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence as well as the Bookseller Best Award. Her books are New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly mass market best-sellers. Writing changed her life, her world, and her fate.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3 & 1/2 stars., August 16, 2000

By 

"virgie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deep in the Heart (Harper monogram) (Mass Market Paperback)

Samantha Carlyle has made it big in Hollywood, & she is also being stalked by a very clever enemy. The police & all her friends believe it's just a selfish publicity stunt because all the phonecalls, letters, etc. can be traced back to her in some way. At the end of her rope, Sam asks her childhood hero & former lover John Knight to believe in her. After narrowly escaping from an attempt on her life, Sheriff Knight decides to take her to a more secure environment--specifically, to HIS house in their old hometown. Because their bittersweet past ended in so much pain, they both try not to 'fall' for each other again. However, 'Fate' seems to have its own agenda...

Overall the story is pretty good, well-written & full of feeling. The main characters seem very real & had great chemistry. Unfortunately, I found myself greatly disappointed in who the villain turned out to be (even though I didn't guess it until the end). This one started out great but then the 'action' tapered off...Ms. Sala's other works are much better.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharon Has Done It Again!, February 10, 2003

By 

Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deep in the Heart (Harper monogram) (Mass Market Paperback)

What can I say Ms Sala has done it again. She has managed to pen an emotionally charged read.

Samantha Carlyle and John Thomas (Johnny) have a past. Together they grew up, they were best friends, and before Johnny went away to boot camp they became lovers for one night but circumstances beyond their control seperated them. Both promised to always be there for each other. Samantha calles on her best childhood friend to come and save her. Someone is stalking her in Hollywood and no one not even the police believe there is someone out there wanting to kill her.

John Thomas receives the letter calling for his help and he does not hesitate to get on a plane for L.A. in order to help the only girl that he has ever loved.

John Thomas takes Samantha back home to Texas. He is a sheriff of a small town and feels that he can keep Sam safe if she is away from L.A. Once in Texas they start remembering the past that they both shared. They are both fighting feeling that are powerful and deep. At the same time it looks like the stalker has followed them to Texas. Samantha is now on edge and fearing for her life.

This was a wonderful read. I love Ms. Sala's characters since they are very believable and you find yourself falling in love with them as you read their story. I found myself surprised by whom the stalker was and was unable to guess it until the very end. Be prepared to feel all the emotions that this book touches on.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great plot, but......, August 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Deep in the Heart (Harper monogram) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had a hard time deciding on the number of stars for this review. On one hand, the love story was a great one, and the characters were likeable, the conflict believable, and the ending very satisfying.

What brought the score down was the odd anachronisms that kept jerking me out of the story. Here are just a few examples:

1) This book was first published in 1996, but we're told that Sam, who worked in a big Hollywood casting agency, used a typewriter, not a computer, for her work. Surely not. I think the author used a typewriter because she needed to use the uniqueness of typewriters in her evidence. She took the easy way out rather than doing research to find an alternative plot point.

2) The police, even when given pretty solid evidence that Sam was being stalked, not only dismiss the evidence out of hand, but they give it all back to her when she asks for it.

3) The police don't even attempt to use technology to trap the stalker, but the stalker somehow is able to follow Sam and Johnny back to a tiny little town in Texas. The FLEW there - how did the stalker find out where? Has the stalker access to better resources than the police?

4) When Johnny calls the LA cop with the name of the stalker, the cop recognizes the name immediately - even though the police didn't investigate the stalking enough to have developed a list of suspects. I got the feeling the author expected us to believe this cop knows everyone in town. I can believe that of Johnny and Cotton, Texas, but in Los Angeles???? I don't think so.

Another reviewer mentioned the fact that Sam could easily have carried a cell phone - I don't know about that (I didn't have one myself until 2000), but that is one more instance where the author used plot devises that fit more in an eighties book than a modern one.

As I said, though, the story itself is a very nice one, and if you can suspend disbelief enough to get past these lapses in technological know-how, you should enjoy this book.

Ms Sala has written another book with a similar plot that I actually like better, though: Tallchief, written under her penname Dinah McCall. I think it is a better book all around.